Wrexham AFC facing Derby County transfer battle for ex-Sheffield Wednesday star | OneFootball

Josh Windass is now available on a free transfer following his Hillsborough exit.

Wrexham are facing a transfer battle from Championship rivals Derby County in a bid to acquire the services of Josh Windass on a free transfer following his well-documented exit from Sheffield Wednesday.

This is according to a fresh report from Alan Nixon via Patreon on Sunday, with Windass currently on the free agent market after his five-and-a-half-year spell in the blue and white half of the Steel City came to an end, alongside previous Wrexham target Michael Smith via mutual consent.

The Red Dragons are looking to make plenty of smart and statement signings ahead of the new second tier campaign which gets underway in three weeks' time, with Phil Parkinson set to oversee a major spending spree which includes a reportedly imminent club-record outlay on Empoli defender, Liberato Cacace.

Derby have also been heavily active in the market ahead of John Eustace's first full season in charge at Pride Park, with as many as five signings already through the door in a bid to shoot up the table, with the standout acquisition being a deal worth up to £7.3m for Patrick Agyemang from MLS outfit, Charlotte FC.

Wrexham AFC facing Derby County transfer battle as Josh Windass searches for new club post-Sheffield Wednesday exit

Windass' immediate future, like several of his colleagues in S6, had been up in the air for several weeks and months due to several controversies centering around Dejphon Chansiri's day-to-day running of the Owls, who are currently under a three-window transfer fee restriction.

It was reported earlier in the month, amid reports that several Wednesday players had handed in departure notices to the club after late or non-payments of wages, that Derby, alongside Coventry City and Norwich City, were all interested in pursuing a deal for Windass, who has been a real bright spark for Wednesday during an extremely tumultuous period in their history.

And, as per Nixon's aforementioned update, it has been claimed that Wrexham have joined the race for his signature after his exit from the South Yorkshire side was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.

Nixon's report also states that Smith, who was the subject of strong interest from the Red Dragons in January ahead of the sealing of their third successive promotion from the National League straight to the Championship, is waiting to see if the North Wales outfit reignite their interest in his services, as he is now also available on a free transfer.

Wrexham AFC and Derby County could source far worse incomings than Josh Windass

At the age of 31, Windass still clearly feels he can contribute massively to an ambitious project in the Championship, which is exactly what is occurring at the Racecourse Ground and Pride Park based off the early-season activity and general hype surrounding the clubs.

The forward has 40 goals in 173 second-tier appearances to his name, which is an extremely fair return when utilised in an array of different attacking positions, with 13 of those goals and a further five assists coming last term for Wednesday.

The Rams will also know of his technical qualities more than most, having seen Windass net from inside his own half against them in a 4-2 victory back on New Year's Day.

According to Capology - a site which ESTIMATES player earnings, the experienced figure was earning £20,000 per week at Hillsborough, a sum which would make him the second-highest earner at Wrexham behind Jay Rodriguez, and the joint-highest at Derby alongside centre-back, Matt Clarke.